Delicious Low-Calorie Pastitsio

Name: Delicious Low-Calorie Pastitsio
Total time: 3480 s
Yield: 9 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8.8 oz penne pasta (250 grams); 1.1 lbs lean ground beef (500 grams); 1 carrot, grated; 1 onion, grated; 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped; 1 cup canned diced tomatoes (about 240 ml); 1/2 bunch fresh parsley; 3 1/3 cups low-fat milk, 1.5% (800 ml); 3 tablespoons cornstarch (about 24 grams); 7 oz low-fat Greek yogurt, 2% (200 grams); 3.5 oz reduced-fat white cheese (like feta) (100 grams); 1 egg; salt; pepper; nutmeg; cinnamon

SONIAML @cook_8467299

giannitsa,ellada

The tastiest and lightest pastitsio. It has half the calories—just 330 per serving, compared to the classic recipe's 690! We don't use any butter or oil at all. Perfect for a diet!

A few more tips:

Use a smaller baking dish than the standard rectangular oven pan to get the expected height. I used the standard pan, so mine turned out a bit short in the photo, which doesn't do it justice. This recipe makes about 9 pieces/servings. Thanks to eliza04 for the step-by-step photos.

The tastiest and lightest pastitsio. It has half the calories—just 330 per serving, compared to the classic recipe's 690! We don't use any butter or oil at all. Perfect for a diet!

A few more tips:

SONIAML @cook_8467299

giannitsa,ellada

The tastiest and lightest pastitsio. It has half the calories—just 330 per serving, compared to the classic recipe's 690! We don't use any butter or oil at all. Perfect for a diet!

A few more tips:

The tastiest and lightest pastitsio. It has half the calories—just 330 per serving, compared to the classic recipe's 690! We don't use any butter or oil at all. Perfect for a diet!

A few more tips:

Saved

Ingredients

58 Minutes

9 servings

8.8 ozpenne pasta (250 grams)
1.1 lbslean ground beef (500 grams)
1carrot, grated
1onion, grated
1red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cupcanned diced tomatoes (about 240 ml)
1/2 bunchfresh parsley
3 1/3 cupslow-fat milk, 1.5% (800 ml)
3 tablespoonscornstarch (about 24 grams)
7 ozlow-fat Greek yogurt, 2% (200 grams)
3.5 ozreduced-fat white cheese (like feta) (100 grams)
1egg
salt
pepper
nutmeg
cinnamon

Saved

Steps

58 Minutes

1

Sauté the onion, carrot, and bell pepper in 2 tablespoons water until softened.
2

Add the ground beef and cook, stirring well, until it changes color all over.
3

Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, a little cinnamon, and 1/2 cup water. Stir, cover, and simmer until almost all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped parsley.
4

Cook the pasta in salted water, stirring to prevent sticking.
5

In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 1/2 cup milk. Heat the remaining milk, then add the cornstarch mixture. Stir constantly to prevent sticking, until it thickens (the béchamel will not be very thick).
6

Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in the yogurt. Then add the lightly beaten egg, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
7

In a baking dish (greased with 1 tablespoon oil, or you can skip this), spread the pasta, then the meat mixture on top. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the meat, and finish with the béchamel sauce.
8

Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 45 minutes, using both top and bottom heat.